Trace-fastening



(No Model.)

R. TERRY.

TRACE FASTENING.

No. 375,226. Patented 1m. 20, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT TERRY, OF EAST SAGINAW, MICHIGAN.

TRACE-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,226, dated December 20, 1887.

Application filed September '24, 1887. Serial No. 250,615. No model.)

' To all whom it may concern;

Beit known that I, ROBERT TERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trace-Fastenings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in safety-trace fastenings; and the invention consists in the novel construction of the parts, all as more fully hereinafter described. v

In the drawings which accompany this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my trace-fastening without the trace. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof, showing the trace engaged. Fig. 3 is a plan illustrating the manner of detaching the trace.

A is the cockeye of the trace, B is the whiffltree, and G is the trace-hook of the whiffletree, allof known construction.

D is a little wheel movably secured to the free end of the whiffletree-hook, preferably by means of a rivet, a, in a slot, b, formed in the end of such hook, and this wheel is provided with a recess, E.

In practice the wheel D prevents the engagement or disengagement of the cockeye and trace-hook, except when the end of the cockeye is engaged into the recess E, as shown in Fig. 3. By causing the wheel to revolve while the cockeye is thus engaged the latter is carried into or out of engagement with the tracehook at the will of the operator; but accidental disengagement is almost absolutely prevented, even if the cockeye should accidentally happen to engage with the recess E, because the cockeye has to assume the angular position shown in Fig. 3 to effect the disengagement.

By duplicating the wheel D, as shown in the drawings, the recesses E in the two wheels have to be made to coincide in order to operate the device. Thereby additional safety is provided. To make the two wheels register in one fixed position, I provide each wheel with the corresponding stop a, which defines the initial position at which the wheels are ready to permit of engagement of the cockeye into the tracehook.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a trace-fastening, the combination, with the cockeye of a trace and the trace-hook, of two independent notched wheels, D, pivoted to said hook, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with a cockeye of a trace and the trace-hook, of two independent wheels, D, pivoted to the free end of said hook on the same pivot and formed with the stops 0 to engage the end of the said hook, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 5th day of Sep tember, 1887.

ROBERT TERRY. Witnesses:

J AS. WHITTEMORE, ADOLPH. BARTHEL. 

